Type 3: Curly Hair. This category encompasses hair that curls into springs and corkscrew shapes. When hair is wet, curls usually look like waves but take on a three-dimensional swirl shape as they dry. Each strand of this hair type can be unique.
Type 2 wavy texture is not quite straight and not completely curly, with the spectrum of hair ranging from loose loops to coarse, thick S-shaped waves combined with curls. Type 2 texture is typically flatter at the root and lays close to the head, getting curlier from the ears down.
Type 3 curly hair ranges from a light curl to tight, curly tendrils, and usually have a combination of textures. They are defined and springy, with more height and volume at the root than type 2s.
If your curls easily wrap around the sidewalk chalk, then you have type 3A hair. If the permanent marker is the best fit, then your hair type is 3B. If your spiral curls are the size of a pencil, you have type 3C hair.
2c hair has “S” shaped waves that go down the whole strands. However, 3a hair has loosely wound spirals that start at the scalp itself. What is this? You might see that 2c hair appears straighter in a few places and curlier in others, but 3a hair has a consistent pattern of curls throughout.
3A hair is made up of well-defined and springy curls that have a loopy, “S” shaped pattern. Their circumference is the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk. 3A ringlets have a fine to medium texture. This curl type benefits from lots of body and movement, but is prone to frizzing and dryness.
3C hair strands have larger curls than 4A hair, which are a bit more tightly coiled. 3C hair has a reputation for being tightly densely packed, but otherwise soft to touch.
3C hair is made up of well-defined, tight corkscrews or coils with lots of strands densely packed together. Their circumference is the size of a pencil or straw. 3C curls have a fine to medium texture. This curl type is prone to dryness, tangles, and lack of curl definition.
Within the category of type 3 hair, 3b curls are a collection of bouncy ringlets. The circumference of each swirl is roughly that of a Sharpie marker. Because your curl type straddles the happy medium between 3a and 3c hair, you may also have some loose spirals and springy corkscrews in your locks.
Type 3B natural hair has high porosity, which means that water, oils, and other types of products can be easily absorbed by your hair. That said because the hair is highly porous, your hair may not be able to retain that moisture as well as other hair types.
Type 3 hair is curly, and type 4 is coily. You may have different curl patterns on different parts of your head. To keep curls healthy, bouncy, and defined, you'll need to experiment with products to find the ones that work best for your hair.
At a glance, type 4 hair appears as a mass of tight coils brimming with vitality. This hair type comes with a spongy hair texture that can feel soft and fine or rough and coarse, depending on individual hair thickness.
Type 2C hair has defined waves that start at the roots, and is thicker than the other subcategories. This hair type starts to form loose spiral curls and has that “S” shape. Type 2C tends to be the most prone to frizz of the Type 2 category. With wavy hair, the biggest frustration is that it tends to frizz easily.
Type 3: Curly Hair
Type 3 hair ranges from tight, curly tendrils to light curls. It generally has a combination of different textures. Type 3 hair types are also defined as springy curls. They have more volume as well as height at the roots than type 2 hair types, which are wavy. Type 3A: Your curls are big and loose.
What Is 3C Hair? A 3C hair is the tightest curl pattern of all type 3 hair, it looks like the curly end of a corkscrew and can be as long as a pencil or straw.
3C hair is considered the densest of true curly hair (or type 3 hair). While 3C hair tends to have the most volume, these curlies also struggle the most with shrinkage (for true curly hair—note that Type 4s often also fight shrinkage).
How do you know if you might be a Type 3C? You would have very curly hair that held on to its S or Z-curve shape even after being stretched out. You still retain a definite curl pattern and the texture isn't a frizzy coil.
Type 4c. 4c hair is the queen of thick, bold afros. From afar, 4c hair looks like a thick fro, but if you look closely, you'll notice very tight, small springs or coils on each strand. Coils are pretty different from curls.
4c hair type has the tightest curl pattern of all the curly hair types. Strands are formed in tight, springy, ringlets. 4c hair tends to clump more at the ends and is even more prone to shrinkage than 4b hair. According to CURLS, 4c hair can shrink up to 75% of its length!
Type 4A hair is coily or tightly curled hair that can look coarse but is actually very soft and delicate. Type 4A hair type has lots of tight coils and forms an “S” pattern when stretched.
Type 3a hair is characterized by well-defined spiral curls that are typically the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk. Although the circumference of 3a curls is wider than that of 3b and 3c hair, it can be difficult to tell the three curl types apart.
3A curls are known as some of the easiest types of curls to manage and with the right products, might not even require much styling. Look for light styling creams to help control strands when styling and drying.
3a: This type of hair holds an "S" shape and has a definite pattern throughout. If you have type 1, 2a, 2b, or 2c hair, you may not be able to get the waves to work. You can try, but you'll have much better luck if your hair is at least a 3a.